The Question
by Eugol Dlareg
Summary: Five years after defeating the Darkness, Jake asks Rae the eternal question. . .


**Sailor Moon**-American Senshi  
_by Eugol Dlareg  
  
****_THE QUESTION  
  
_I do not own any of the main characters in this story except for Gilded Rose. They are owned by someone in Japan. However, with the exception of Serena Campbell and Amy Anderson, I do own the Americanized names of the characters, as well as many of the supporting characters and villians. To make things easy, we'll just say that anything that has appeared in the manga or anime version of Sailor Moon is owned by someone in Japan, most likely Toei or Naoko Takeuchi. _  
**Author's note: **The song quoted at the end of the fic is _Cherish_ by the Association, which was written by Terry Kirkman._  
_note: story told from Jake's POV  
  
_Thursday, 20 June, 1991 University of the Pacific, Stockton, CA_  
_  
_"Are you sure you want me to go by myself?" I asked Rae.   
  
"Go ahead," Rae said. "I have to work tonight."  
  
I didn't really want to go out by myself tonight, bur I quickly realized that I could use the time alone to get my priorities in order. I had decided that by the end of the summer, I was going to ask Rae to marry me. I didn't want her to know until I actually went and did it. Which meant I had to get the ring. I had to get the ring tonight. I was going to take the bull by the horns.  
  
I had more pressing matters, though. Dinner with Tom and Carolyn. Tom and my dad were in the same Army unit in Vietnam, and had remained friends ever since. They had been living in Stockton since just after their daughter was born, and when they found out I was going to UOP, they invited me to their house on more than one occasion. That night was one of those nights. They invited Rae and I over for dinner. I drove to their house. When I knocked on the door, Carolyn answered, with Pookie, their miniature schnauser, underfoot. "Where's Rae?" Carolyn asked.   
  
"She had to work," I said.   
  
I entered the house, and went to the den, where Jenny, Tom and Carolyn's daughter was watching _When Harry met Sally_ on cable. I took a seat on the couch and watched the movie. Just after the deli scene (you know, the one where Meg Ryan acts out an orgasm, followed by some older lady saying "I'll have what she's having."), the phone rang, and Tom answered it. A minute later, he came into the den and told me Rae was on the phone.  
  
"Hello," I said.  
  
"It turns out they didn't need me," Rae said. "I was just about ready to leave, and they called to tell me that Glen was going to work tonight. Can you come by and pick me up really quick?"  
  
"Sure," I said. "I'll be there in a bit."  
  
I hung up the phone, and told Tom I'd be back in a bit, and to set an extra place for dinner. I left, and went back to pick up Rae. But I had a couple of stops to make first.  
  
The first stop was the bank where I deposited the money I made when I sold my record collection. I had sold my collection for slightly more than $3000. However, I would only need $2000 of it. I filled out a withdrawl slip and stood in line. There was a slight delay with the teller, due to the amount of the withdrawl, but that was normal bank policy. I got my money, and then went to my second stop.  
  
My second stop was a jewelry shop that specialized in engagement rings. I entered the store, and asked the person behind the display cases where the engagement rings were. He pointed me where I wanted to go, and I began looking. Almost immediately, I found the one I was looking for. The ring had a 1 carat diamond, with a quarter carat cluster on either side. The price tag on the ring said $1800, and I saw that it was rae's ring size. Needless to say, I left several minutes later, almost 2 grand lighter, but ready to do what I was about to do._  
  
_I arrive at the dorms, and before I get to Rae's room, I use the payphone in the hall to call Tom and carolyn. Jenny answers, and I tell her to let her parents know I'll be back in about 45 minutes. I hear tom say that dinner will be at least an hour. _Good,_ I thought to myself. _This works out perfectly._  
_  
_I get Rae, and we go back to my car. We drive down the street, and I turn off onto a side road, towards a park Rae and I liked to visit. This was the perfect spot. Lots of trees, a creek with footbridges, even a waterfall. "Where are we going?" Rae asked. "I thought we were going back to Tom and Carolyn's."  
  
"Don't worry," I said. "We have a while before we have to be there. I just felt like taking a short walk through the park before we go back."   
  
We arrived at the park, and getting out of the car, I noticed my shoe was untied. "Go on ahead," I said. "I need to tie my shoe, and I'll catch up." _Talk about timing,_ i thought to myself as I tied my shoes. _That was the excuse I was planning on using in the first place._ After I tied my shoe, I got the ring out of the glove compartment and put it in my pocket. I then caught up with Rae.  
  
We walked along a scenic pathway, over the creek, to the waterfall. When we reached the waterfall, I managed to get the ring out of my pocket and palm it without Rae noticing. "What's that?" I asked, reaching behind her ear and "producing" the ring. Before she realized what I had in my hand, I was down on one knee.  
  
"I love you, Rae Alison Lincoln," I said. "You're my best friend, my soulmate, the light in my life. I want to grow old with you. Will you marry me?"  
  
By the look in her eyes, I knew right away what she was going to say. I let her say it anyways. "Yes," she said. "I love you, Jacob Howard Slater. I want to grow old with you. I will marry you."  
  
I put the ring on her finger. She looked at it for a second, and wrapped her arms around my neck and we kissed. As kisses go, it wasn't earth-shattering, but out of all the kisses we shared, that is one I definitely remember.  
  
On the way back to Tom and Carolyn's, we stopped by Trader Joe's and bought a chilled bottle of Dom Perignon. Neither one of us had ever drank Dom Perignon, or for that matter, any French champagne. But hey, this was a special occasion, which warranted nothing but the best. We also picked up a loaf of sourdough bread, and a couple of other things, and after we paid for our purchases, we went back to Tom and Carolyn's.   
  
When we got there, we went in, and put the bag on the table. I got out the bottle of Dom Perignon, while Rae got out some wine glasses. I poured several glasses, and everyone took one. Everyone, that is, except for Jenny, who was 1) only 17 at the time, and 2) didn't like the taste of champagne. "Rae and I have something we want to tell you," I said as I picked up a glass.  
  
"Jake asked me to marry him," Rae said.  
  
"And Rae said yes," I said.   
  
After everyone congratulated us, we called our parents and told them the good news, and we had dinner and finished off the bottle of champagne. When we got back to school, we had one last kiss before we went back to our seperate dorm rooms. "I love you Jake," Rae said as we broke off the kiss. She then went down the hall to her room.  
  
"And I love you too, Rae," I said, and I went to my room. I got out my personal stereo and put the headphones on. I moved the switch to the FM radio position, and set the tuner to an oldies station. They were just coming back from a commercial break when I tuned them in, and the first song they played was _Cherish_ by the Association. As many times as I had heard that song (it had always been one of my favorites), I never really listened to the words until that night.  
  


Cherish is the word I use to describe  
All the feeling that I have hiding here for you inside  
You don't know how many times I've wished that I had told you  
You don't know how many times I've wished that I could hold you  
You don't know how many times I've wished that I could  
Mold you into someone who could  
Cherish me as much as I cherish you  
  
Perish is the word that more than applies  
To the hope in my heart each time I realize  
That I am not gonna be the one to share your dreams  
That I am not gonna be the one to share your schemes  
That I am not gonna be the one to share what  
Seems to be the life that you could  
Cherish as much as I do yours  
  
Oh I'm beginning to think that man has never found  
The words that could make you want me  
That have the right amount of letters, just the right sound  
That could make you hear, make you see  
That you are drivin' me out of my mind  
  
Oh I could say I need you but then you'd realize  
That I want you just like a thousand other guys  
Who'd say they loved you   
With all the rest of their lies  
When all they wanted was to touch your face, your hands  
And gaze into your eyes  
  
Cherish is the word I use to describe  
All the feeling that I have hiding here for you inside  
You don't know how many times I've wished that I had told you  
You don't know how many times I've wished that I could hold you  
You don't know how many times I've wished that I could  
Mold you into someone who could  
Cherish me as much as I cherish you  
And I do cherish you  
And I do cherish you  
Cherish is the word  


  
As the song ended, I removed my headphones and drifted off to sleep.  
  
**This isn't the end, it's only the beginning**_  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
_


End file.
